A Qualitative Inquiry into the Difficulties Experienced by Algerian EFL Master Students in Thesis Writing: ‘Language is not the Only Problem’

Abstract

For the last few decades, difficulties encountered by non-native English students in the process of thesis writing have attracted considerable attention from researchers. However, most of the previous research on this topic has given priority to the language-related/linguistic problems and has focused on international students studying in L1 contexts. Thus, the aim of this qualitative study was to gain insight into Master students' experiences of thesis writing in a conspicuously underexplored EFL context, Algeria. Specifically, the study explored both students' and supervisors' perceptions of the difficulties and challenges encountered during the course of thesis writing, with a focus on the non-linguistic factors underlying this academic undertaking. Semistructured in-depth interviews, supported by open-ended questionnaires, were used to obtain from 30 students and six supervisors, purposely selected from English departments at eight Algerian universities. Findings indicate that the process of thesis writing is a formidable and daunting academic undertaking for Algerian EFF Master students due primarily to sociocultural challenges and then linguistic difficulties. These latter ones included students' lack of some academic writing skills and their limited knowledge about thesis writing and research whereas the identified sociocultural challenges included lack of supervisor and family support, lack of cooperation of the research sample, and insufficient academic preparation. Pedagogical implications for stakeholders and suggestions for future researchers were presented in the end of the current study.

Scrutinizing Algerian EFL students’ challenges in research teaching and writing

“…Still, another teacher claimed that they think in their mother tongue and write in English, in addition to poor organizational skills. The linguistic problems tie with (Alsied & Ibrahim, 2017;Boufeldja & Bouhania, 2020;Chang & Strauss, 2010;Singh, 2015Singh, , 2017Strauss, 2012) findings where lack in English proficiency may affect students' academic success. The poor academic writing obstacles are what Boufeldja & Bouhania (2020) considered sociocultural factors.…”

“…The linguistic problems tie with (Alsied & Ibrahim, 2017;Boufeldja & Bouhania, 2020;Chang & Strauss, 2010;Singh, 2015Singh, , 2017Strauss, 2012) findings where lack in English proficiency may affect students' academic success. The poor academic writing obstacles are what Boufeldja & Bouhania (2020) considered sociocultural factors. The use of abbreviations, lack of unity and coherence, and sentence structure are also among the other challenges encountered by the teachers.…”

“…However, findings showed that the students reported a wide range of other difficulties which were grouped into three main categories: (i) instructional and pedagogical inadequacies (mainly students' lack of knowledge and experience in researching and writing up their thesis), (ii) personal problems and affairs such as poor management of time and the loss of interest and motivation in the process of thesis writing, and (iii) educational support such as the limited availability and assistance offered by the supervisor and adviser. In a more recent study conducted by Boufeldja and Bouhania, (2020) where they explored the difficulties faced by Algerian EFL Master students in the process of writing their thesis, from their own as well as their supervisors' perspectives, the findings of the study revealed that Algerian EFL students perceived linguistic problems as less problematic than sociocultural challenges. The sociocultural challenges include Inadequate supports and cooperation, poor-quality academic preparation: education, students' lack of preparedness, insufficient academic writing skills, and lack of research skills and knowledge.…”

“…The sociocultural challenges include Inadequate supports and cooperation, poor-quality academic preparation: education, students' lack of preparedness, insufficient academic writing skills, and lack of research skills and knowledge. According to Boufeldja and Bouhania (2020), Apart from the generic and rhetorical challenges, the literature, on the other hand, shows that some students, who have to write a thesis in English as a foreign or as a second language, still struggle with more palpable linguistic difficulties such as problems with grammar and punctuation and limitation in vocabulary to express ideas and views (p. 2245).…”

Students’ Challenges and Barriers in the Completion of an Undergraduate Thesis in the Case of A Premier Local College in the Philippines

“…Moreover, additional facilities that students can use for conducting experiments (e.g., laboratories) are highly suggested to be taken into consideration by the management of the college. Students' experiences of focal phenomena in laboratories may be shaped by the experimental technologies employed, in a human-mediating tools-world fashion, by highlighting or hiding specific features of reality (Bernhard, 2018). Some areas of physical education are extremely experimental, therefore having a well-equipped laboratory has educational benefits beyond the simple fact that students have a positive experience conducting their experiments, which may result in novel finding on their field being studied during thesis writing.…”